Posted on 08/27/2008 1:33:55 AM PDT by HAL9000
Excerpt -
BAGHDAD, Aug 27 (Reuters) - The United States asked Iraq for permission to keep its troops there to 2015, but U.S. and Iraqi negotiators agreed to limit their authorisation to 2011, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said."It was a U.S. proposal for the date which is 2015, and an Iraqi one which is 2010, then we agreed to make it 2011. Iraq has the right, if necessary, to extend the presence of these troops," Talabani said in a transcript of an interview with al-Hurra television.
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(Excerpt) Read more at alertnet.org ...
The US has no ability to project air-power from land bases in this area from 2011? And we INVADED for this in 2003?
serious?
What a weak negotiating position the US has, apparently.
I’ll wait for the US comment on this. Lot’s of various statements on this agreement in recent weeks, some contradictional. I doubt we will give up the bases (rather hi-tech fortresses in Iraq after 2011.
Remember that all the politicians (US and Iraqi) are using flexable definitions of “troops”. A definition that does not include air forces so far. Just ground.
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